Theme model 17
Theme-model XVII. — THE BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY. The biographical essay makes use of narra¬tive material in the exposition of a man's life and work. It contains also descriptions of his character, mode of life, and personal appearance, thus com¬bining the three forms of discourse which the other models of this chapter contain. The material used in this model consists of the facts of the life of a person grouped under a series of topics ; such as, parentage, education, travels, and friends. 260. The Selection Used as a Model. The plan for the biographical essay was suggested by portions of Carlyle's Essay on Burns. The outline in the next section may be used for short sketches of the lives of authors by developing in a sentence one or more of the topics suggested, instead of giv¬ing a paragraph to each as the outline directs. 261. Theme-model XVII. in Outline. For the first six paragraphs of this outline the model which follows in section 262 should be used, for the tenth paragraph the model in section 178, and for the elev¬enth that in section 223 Or 227: First paragraph —parentage. Second paragraph— education. Third paragraph — travels. Fourth paragraph— friends. Fifth paragraph — professions. Sixth paragraph — closing years. Seventh paragraph — personal appearance. Eighth paragraph— character. Ninth paragraph — mode of life. Tenth paragraph — a general reflection on the person's life. Eleventh paragraph — his literary works (if be is a man of letters). 262. New Paragraph-type Required in Theme- model XVII. The following paragraph develops the first topic in the outline of Theme-model XVII.; namely, parentage. It makes in the first sentence a general statement about Burns's parentage, explains this statement in the sentences which follow, and summarizes in the last. Its only new feature is the kind of material used. MODEL In his Burns's parentage, deducting outward circum¬stances, he had every reason to reckon himself fortunate. His father was a man of thoughtful, intense, earnest character, as the best of our peasants are ; valuing knowledge, possessing some, and what is far better and rarer, open-minded for more ; a man with a keen insight and devout heart ; reverent toward God, friendly there¬fore at once, and fearless toward all that God has made; in one word, though but a hard-handed peasant, a com¬plete and fully unfolded man. Such a father is seldom found in any rank in society, and was worth descending far in society to seek. -THOMAS CARLYLE, Essay on Burns. The following quotation illustrates another of the paragraphs of the outline in section 261; namely, the topic, "Friends." It is an account of Burns's Edin¬burgh patrons in their relation to the poet : The Edinburgh Learned of that period were in gen¬eral more noted for clearness of head than for warmth of heart : with the exception of the good old Black- lock, whose help was too ineffectual, scarcely one among them seems to have looked at Burns with any true sym¬pathy, or indeed much otherwise than as at a highly curious thing. By the great also he is treated in the customary fashion; entertained at their tables and dis¬missed: certain modica of pudding and praise are, from time to time, gladly exchanged for the fascination of his presence ; which exchange effected, the bargain is finished, and each party goes his several way It reflects credit on the manliness and sound sense of Burns, that he felt so early on what ground he was standing; and preferred self-help, on the humblest scale, to dependence and inaction, though with hope of far more splendid possibilities. - THOMAS CARLYLE, Essay on Burns. DIRECTIONS I. The first sentence of each paragraph should be short, should characterize, should contain the mention of but one quality, should be interesting—not commonplace. 2. The last sentence should point back to the thought of the first,. should summarize or give a comment, either. general or particular,- should be made strong by an image, a comparison, or the use of the concrete, or any of the other minor devices mentioned in the study of description. 3. The other sentences elaborate the general statement made regarding the person's parentage, education, etc. CAUTIONS.—Do not use "he had" or "he was" too often in this theme. Do not attempt to make transitions between the successive paragraphs in your first theme. 263. Subjects for the Biographical Essay. Theme-model XVII. gives us an opportunity to write very fully about those whom we know well either by personal acquaintance or through our reading, as is indicated in the list of suggested subjects given below. Odd, impossible, or merely imaginary characters should not be chosen for the biographical theme. Exercise Write a theme upon one of the following subjects or upon any other of the same kind which may interest you : ]Give a biography of some member of your family, or some friend whose life will furnish abundant material for this outline. 2. Give the life of some American author, some English author. 3. Write your own biogräphy. 4. Give a short biography of an author, one of whose works you have read this year. In this do not devote a paragraph to each topic. Sometimes two or more of the topics given in the outline can be treated in one paragraph. 5. Give the biography of some statesman, soldier, or philanthropist. 6. Write a biographical sketch of some well known character in fiction. 264. Narration, Description, and Exposition in Nature Studies. We have seen how these three kinds of composition — Narration, Description, and Exposition — may be used in writing about places (Theme-model XV.) and persons (Theme-models XVI. and XVII.). From a study of a few of Bry¬ant's poems we shall see how they may also express thought about minor objects in nature — a flower, a bird, a stream. The motives for which we shall find material in the following poems are : The situation ; description of personal appearance, character, mood, and place ; retrospective and anticipatory narrative, and the general reflection. Exercises I. Give a prose reproduction, oral or written, of each of the following selections, according to the outline for each. In the reproduction repeat no expression found in the poem. I. ROBERT OF LINCOLN [This sketch shows character development. Chapter I. Situation. (Stanzas i and 5.) Personal appearance of Robert of Lincoln. (Stanza 2.) Personal appearance of Robert of Lincoln's wife. (Stanza 2.) Character of Robert of Lincoln. (Stanzas 2, 3, 4, and 5.) Character of Robert of Lincoln's wife. (Stanzas 3, 4, and 5.) Chapter II. Situation. (Stanza 6.) Change in the character of Robert of Lincoln. (Stanza 7.) Chapter III. Situation. (Stanza 8.) Change in the character of Robert of Lincoln. (Stanza 8.) , General reflection. (Stanza 8.) SUGGESTIONS.- Define the following words : Mead, brier, crest, Quaker, broods, chirp, braggart, flecked, frolic, crone. Select any expressions which seem to you especially musical or otherwise effective. THE WIND AND STREAM • narrative contains a change of mood. Chapter I. Situation. (Stanza i.) Mood of the stream. (Stanza I.) Chapter II. Situation. (Stanza 2.) Mood of the stream. (Stanzas 2 and 3.) - Chapter III. Situation. (Stanza 5.) Mood of the stream. (Stanza 5.) Retrospective narrative. (Stanza 4.) The wind for¬sakes the stream. SUGGESTIONS.- Define the following words : Placid, unreluc¬tant, simpering. Find in the poem instances of personification ; of repetition of the same expression. TO A FRINGED GENTIAN Situation—Find out where gentians grow, and make use of this fact in writing the situation. This will make the place element more explicit. i. Place. (Stanza 2.) • '2. Time. (Stanza 3.) 3. Characters—the poet and the flower. A description of the appearance of the lower. (Stanzas and 4.) See model for the description of personal appearance, section 102. General reflection—the lesson which the poet learns. (Stanza 5.) Give this thought in morfologue by the poet as he returns from his walk. IV. TO A WATERFOWL Situation. (Stanza Place, time, characters— the bird and the poet. Occasion. r. The reason for the poet's being in that par¬ticular place. (To be invented by the pupil or taken from the actual circumstances under which the poem was written.) 2. The reason for the bird's being in that place. (Stanza 3.) Description of place—the sky in which the bird was fly ing. (Stanzas i and 2.) Retrospective narrative—the past journey of the bird (Stanza 5.) Anticipatory narrative—the future of the bird. (Stanza 6.) General reflection—the lesson of the poem. (Stanzas 4, 7;and 8.) Give in monologue by the poet, as he returns from his walk, or continues his Journey, or returns to the tasks of life with a new hope. SUGGESTION.- Define the following words : Fowler, plashy, marge, chafed, desert, illimitable, abyss, boundless. II. Write an original account of some flower, bird, stream, or other natural object, employing in your theme narration, description, and exposition. For further suggestions in treating the nature study, read some of Burroughs's essays, others of Bryant's poems, Burns's To a Mountain Daisy and To a Mouse. You can scarcely open a volume of poems by any author and fail to find the nature study. The num¬ber of recent books in prose dealing with the same subject is also very large.